The next hearing of the Mantova doping investigation, which is based on the Lampre team, will take place on Friday. It is the first of three hearings next month, with November 14 and 28 also scheduled.

At the last hearing in July, Dr. Donata Favretto, professor of forensic toxicology at the University of Padua, told the court that phials taken from pharmacist Guido Negrelli in 2009 were clean and contained no doping products.

La Gazzetta dello Sport says that Favretto will again provide testimony with the aid of two experts: Dr. Roberta Pacifici, whose report stated that the phials contained testosterone, and Professor Sandro Donati, who compiled a detailed dossier analysing the evidence amassed.

The enquiry was founded on the relationship between Negrelli and the Lampre team in 2008 and 2009. 2 people are facing criminal trial including then tem manager Giuseppe Saronni, past and present riders Mauro Santambrogio, Alessandro Ballan, Damiano Cunego and Marzio Bruseghin, and current Omega Pharma-QuickStep doctor José Ibarguen.

Negrelli is one of three people to have already received a ban from the Italian Olympic Committee. He was handed a life ban in January; Dr. Fiorenzo Egeo Bonazzi was banned for four years and 2008 World Champion Alessandro Ballan was given a two-year ban for blood doping.